


Red Sky at Night

by LysSerris



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Before the Storm Rewrite, F/F, F/M, Farewell Rewrite, Life is Strange Rewrite, Multi, will add more as necessary
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 01:01:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13892925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LysSerris/pseuds/LysSerris
Summary: Max & Chloe meet, finding their lives intertwined. They find themselves along the way, while ancient & mythic forces push & pull at their tenuous relationship. A retelling of Farewell, Before the Storm, and Life is strange.





	1. A Chance Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> I have not seriously written anything of length in over 7 years. Please excuse rambling and inconsistencies as I find my way again. I will update tags and relationships as necessary to the story, and look forward to receiving any comments or criticisms. Thank you for your time.

The sea was close by. Her sandal clad feet crunched over uneven gravel as she approached. Smells of salt and ocean flavors guided inland off the wind. Sun at an angle in the sky, gulls cawing and floating on the breeze, land around them lit in coastal blues and tans.

She squeezed back against the warm grip of her father, hands swinging back and forth in time with her steps. Dollar store camera tightly gripped in her left hand, a precious treat she had been allowed. The smile on her face as she remembered picking it out at the store, the feeling of something mechanical and real, the pride of owning something all of her own, however disposable it was. Her fears told her that her pictures would never look like the ones in a gallery, but they would one day. She just needed to start somewhere.

Her pace picked up, dragging the lumbering man beside her. The call of the gulls overhead increased, and she craned her neck to catch a glimpse them soaring high above. The walk took minutes, but to her impatient mind, was drawn out by hours. As the breeze picked up and the roar of swells crashing and sliding on the sand grew louder, she felt the shift beneath her feet. A smile formed, her father letting go of her hand.

"OK sweetie," his hand tightened its grip then released, "Now what did we talk about?"

His voice was stern, yet warm and comforting. She'd pestered him about photography, the beach, the wide expanse of the Adult world that she felt no call to explore. He could read off the definition of a hat-trick, numbers from the family account book, the front page of a newspaper; she was enraptured through it all. He had the sound of easy mornings, late nights, and an affinity for explaining all manner of curious things to her. She felt no different now, but the allure of the sea and freedom to explore called to her, dragging her attention.

"Uh, don't go far out, no higher than my waist."

"And?" He placed his hands upon his hips, waiting on her response.

"Umm... Stay where you can see me! Oh, and if I see a shark, tell you, and stay on the sand!"

She punctuated her statements with as sweet a smile as she could muster, hoping she hadn't forgotten anything else.

"Good job sweetheart," he ruffled her brunette locks, "Now go have fun. I'll be in the middle of the beach if you need me."

He released her and ambled to a midpoint on the beach, unfurling a thin and worn out beach chair to seat himself.

With a smile and a wave she sprinted off from his side with the energy only a child could contain. As she neared a patch of sea worn boulders at the water's edge, she tore her sandals off and plopped them in the sand. The boulders surrounding her stood as sentinels guarding the waters edge. They towered over her, and she ran her fingers over their water hewn edges, fingers splayed to feel as much of the rough surface as she could. Her attention lingered, then shifted, and within no time she was searching the base of the rock for the nooks and crannies where small fish and crabs hid in the low tide.

Her eyes darted back and forth, searching the tiny pools for bright flashes of scales, the stony armor of crabs, and the spiny limbs of starfish. After an exhausting search, she caught a glimpse of a lone fish, tinier than her fingers, claiming refuge in a little island of water. Resigning herself to laying in the lapping water, she finally lined up her perfect shot, the small fish in her sight, lit from the sun above but basked in the shadow of the rock.

"Ah!"

She felt herself pushed back, rolled around, water washing over and soaking her tiny frame. Her hands thrust upward, keeping her camera dry while she sputtered away seawater, foam, and sand from her mouth. When the wave receded, her feet steadied beneath her, she peaked around the boulder to her father, still sitting in his thin beach chair. He’d missed her watery escapade, nodding off slightly with a worn paperback in his lap.

Surprised but not deterred, she found her place against the rock, tiny feet anchoring her down. Her fish was gone, swept out to sea and out of reach, but she knew she could find something else.

The beach around her and sky above teamed with invitations to practice and explore her craft. As she flitted back and forth amongst the waves and rocks, her confidence and aptitude shined through with each click and whir of the camera.

As the sun made its steady descent towards the horizon, she stood and stretched, toes digging into the warm and sodden sand. The sea had calmed and air had stilled, languid rolling waves spreading out about the shore.

All but two of her twenty shots remained. Her face was screwed up as she searched the beach and sea for something to immortalize. Against the pattern of far off waves and deep green sea, a form popped above the water. Sleek and black, sea stained skin, she readied her viewfinder for a shot.

Seals so rarely came near Arcadia, she had never seen them this close to shore. A pod of two or three, they were moving so quickly she couldn't be sure of her count, were shooting from the water close enough she could see the whiskers on their muzzles. Her smile widened at their obvious playtime, heads bobbing at the surface, only to dive and reappear in a flurry.

_ 'Click' _

She had asked her father once, after a visit to relatives up north, why she could nearly touch them there, but never catch sight of them here. He had merely smiled, intrigued by her question, but used to his daughter's wildly changing interests. He admitted he didn't know why, and they had spent the better part of an afternoon looking for answers, and helping her find a reason. She came away with a newfound respect for the creatures, all of the knowledge her young head could hold, but no real answer to what she was seeking.

She resolved to ask the fisherman down by the diner once the pictures were developed. He was always nice, speaking patiently to the energetic child as she asked questions early in the morning. Accompanying her father’s early morning runs to work brought her chances to speak with him. He'd regale her with stories of the sea, and the dangers within, while sipping his coffee or eating a bagel. At those times, the world outside was dark, but within those walls her world was alive and bright with the experiences of another. Nodding her head slightly, she concluded that he would certainly be able to help answer her questions.

Her breath stilled and body tensed as she readied herself for another shot, eyes darting across the shoreline. Before her finger could trigger the camera, a smaller form, sleek and tan, lighter in color and form than the other, rose out of the sea in a rainbow of light and water.

'A lady seal!', she thought, had moved closer to the shore, hidden beneath the waves. Every few seconds the seal had lifted her head out of the water, watching her as intently as she watched the seal.

_ 'Click' _

The camera began to whir, pulling the film inside, as she brought it down to her side. She couldn't let the seal slip away without seeing it clearly. It was too delightful of a sight and too unexpected to only see it through her tiny viewfinder. As the seal popped up one last time she waved briefly but vigorously before it slid under the waves, one flipper remaining out in what she hoped was a wave of its own. Suddenly, the seal slipped beneath the waves, and she was left waiting for it to surface. Over the minutes, without it peaking back up, her excitement defused itself, and her smile slowly fell in time with the fading light.

'Sweetie! Time to go."

The rumble of his voice roused her from her reverie and startled her to action. His voice brokered no opposition, and the setting sun confirmed the time. She turned back to rejoin him, gaze passing once more over the open sea.

She stepped back, checking the wet sand around her for her sandals, eyes starting to dart back and forth with increased fervor when she could not find them. With growing dread she realized they must have been taken by the wave that had bowled her over earlier. The pit in her stomach felt deep, and she gripped her elbow tight across her body to vent the stress. Sheepishly, she stepped around the rock, casting one final glance for the missing footwear. As she stepped back to return to her father, she caught a quick glimpse of dark brown flippers dipping beneath the sea, even closer than before.

Her father called her again, and her pace quickened, eyes to the sand. The fear of him being upset weighed heavy on her mind. Even if he was there for her, never raised a hand, or spoke out of turn, she couldn't help but wonder if today he would yell, show his disappointment at her actions.

She needn't have been worried though. She could see he was surprised, and he admonished her for losing them, but he was understanding. As they walked back to the entrance to the beach, he told her of all the things he'd lost to the sea, toys and shoes, glasses and jewelry. He had lost his fair share to the sea, from when he was young, to only recently. As he explained this to her, he kept her hand safely in his grip, he simply asked her to leave her footwear with him next time.

Fears assuaged, camera full, they meandered back toward the road to home. When they reached the gravel, he pulled her up against his shoulder, where she quickly fell to a nap, lulled by his voice and the rhythm of his walk. They arrived home with the setting sun to their backs, red sky lit up around them, bathing their world in warmth and color.

\---

As the family within the home settled in for the night, moon peeking through wisps of clouds, soft feet padded up their short driveway. The sandals had been hard to find, hidden amongst the sand and detritus of the shallows, but she had found them and followed the owner home. She'd looked so lonely, yet so happy, little camera held tight, her back against the rocks.

Her father hadn't seen her leave, and her mother would never think to ask where she'd been. She'd felt it the right thing to do, dropping off what the girl had lost. What they didn't know, wouldn't hurt anyone.

She took one last look, the home’s Tudor edges masked by trees and shrubs, large and imposing. She thought of the girl, nestled somewhere within, and was glad she would have a memento of their meeting. As she turned away, heading back towards the salty air, a soft smile spread her lips, and she looked forward to the coming days, wishing the girl to visit again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revised 5/13/18


	2. I told you so.

The mug was still wet, her fingers slipping on the smooth ceramic, shattering once it met the floor, shards spilling over her shoes and under the bar cabinets. With a sigh, Joyce decided it most definitely was not going to be a good day. 

Along with Monday, her first day shift in months had arrived; she’d misplaced her heels, nearly put a hole in a wall while tripping over her daughters toys, and to top it off, the early morning bus had been late. She knelt, cleaning up the mess one handed, massaging the budding headache at her temple with the other.

Across the diner, in the farthest corner booth, MacReady was spinning some wild fish tale to his new deckhand, the trucker at the bar was giving her leary eyed looks when he thought she wasn’t looking. The jukebox was on it’s fifth run of “Somebody Like You”. What she wouldn’t give for this to be a day off. Jewels, money, hell, her last pack of cigarettes even. But it wasn’t, and as much as she hated it, she knew she’d get through it. She could still complain though.

She could catch snippets of MacReady’s conversation, in between the fade and fizzle of the worn out record in the jukebox. She’d learned to tune him out most of the time, he had always been big on exaggerations and embellishments, but now that he owned his own boat, he’d somehow gotten even more boastful. Still, of all other small time fishermen, and some of the commercial trawlers with their fancy gadgets and million dollar boats, he knew these waters like the back of his hand. Anyone with a question about Arcadia and it’s waters could do no better than to strike up conversation with him. They just needed to be sure to ignore anything that seemed too far-fetched for reality. Which in Joyce’s estimation, was about 80% of the words out of his mouth.

She’d worried more than once that he would spot Chloe or William on their early morning or late night swims, though so far her fears had proved unfounded. The man could outsmart fish and fowl, but people were far out of his element.

Having cleaned the shattered cup, and seeing no one in need of attention, she set to her work of wiping down booths, and losing herself in the time worn monotony of pre-dawn work.

Sunlight had yet to still peak fully across the horizon when the front door finally opened, the chimes snapping her back into the moment. A young man and what looked like his daughter came in. While he looked familiar, she couldn’t immediately place him. And if he’d been coming in regularly, she wouldn’t have seen him anyways, she’d been working the night shift too long. He was tall, maybe taller than William, filled out and reminiscent of a linebacker dropping weight. A ruddy red beard hung down his neck, trimmed and combed. He wasn’t a trucker, they let themselves go when it came to hygiene, their beards an unkempt patchwork with a length that advertised how long they were away from home. His clean cropped hair and business casual attire were at odds with the regulars, so she supposed he might be government or working for the Prescott’s. A lumberjack lawyer. The thought made her smile.

Beside him was a small girl, mousy brown hair tied back in a ponytail, freckles scattered across her deeply tanned face and arms. She might have been Chloe’s age, or maybe just younger. Blue eyes darted around the diner, absorbing all she could from her vantage point. They headed towards a booth, backed up against MacReady, the girl facing the entrance, window to her left, lighthouse barely visible in the distance through the early morning mist. With a sigh, and a moment to straighten herself, Joyce grabbed menus and headed over.

“Mornin’ y’all, n’ welcome to the Two Whales. I’m Joyce. What can I getcha to drink?”

The southern drawl from her childhood and early twenties would creep out when she spoke customers, she’d read somewhere a long time back that exaggerating the tone would help ease people up. She wasn’t sure if she’d agree, but it had become habit after a few years. If anything it endeared her to the inhabitants of the small northwestern town.

Their orders went simple enough, belgian waffles and bacon for the young girl, eggs over easy and hash browns’ and bacon for her father. Both ordered coffee, black. Odd for the girl, thought Joyce, but if she was trying to impress her father or be more like him, it made a little sense.

In between sending the order in, and retrieving drinks for them, she let herself wander back into automation. Cleaning down the truckers spot, wiping tables, trying to get the old TV hung up against a wall to tune to some actual news for a change. Another night, like any other. Just during the day.

After what felt like half an hour, but was really only a few minutes, the bell dinged and Joyce headed behind the bar-top to retrieve their food. As she passed by their booth, the young girl had gotten from her seat and was passing something, a photograph she thought, to MacReady, animatedly talking in hushed tones and pantomiming with her hands.

Bringing the food back, she caught a glimpse of the small photograph the girl had handed MacReady. A seal, tan and small, was peeking its head above the waves, far out and to the right of what looked like a boulder jutting from the sand. Joyce felt her body stutter for half a second. She knew that boulder, she knew that beach. Heaven’s forbid she knew that seal. Catching her composure, she pulled her eyes away, and delivered the food to the table.

“Max, come back and take a seat. Food’s ready”, the girl's, Max’s, father didn’t raise his voice, but spoke brusquely enough to indicate he wouldn't’ be patient. Max quickly brought herself around, her hushed conversation with MacReady cut short.

“Here y’all go. I hope you enjoy the food, and let me know if ya need anything else.”

Joyce began to turn on her heel, mind still bound up by the photograph, only to catch herself once the father started speaking.

“Joyce, right? You wouldn’t happen to be Joyce Price, would you?”

“Yessir, the one and only. Unless there’s a few more out there I haven’t heard ‘bout yet.”

“Your daughter is Chloe, right? I think my wife met you at the orientation, for Kindergarten, this year? I’m Ryan. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He punctuated his statement with a thrust of his hand, and Joyce warily took it. His hands were soft and warm, the antithesis of his lumberjack-lite look.

“Chloe is my daughter, yes. And your wife is Vanessa, right? I’m sure we’ll run into each other again, once the school year starts up proper.”

After exchanging pleasantries, Joyce headed back off behind the counter, mind numb, heels clicking with force against the gaudy faux marble tile, her brain still trying to run a mile a minute. Someone had seen Chloe. Someone local even. Someone  _ she knew _ . She grabbed her cellphone and pack of cigarettes from the cubby in the hall between the kitchen and dining area.

“I’m headed out for five Rodney, keep me covered!”

Rodney mumbled a sleep deprived affirmative as she walked the back hall to leave the building. She thrust the door open with a little more force than necessary, knocking it back against the brick wall. Once her back was against the building, her body hidden in the back alley, she slapped the pack of cigarettes against her hand, then drawing one for a smoke. One hand flicked the strike wheel impatiently, hurrying to light the cigarette, while the other automatically dialed William’s work line. Oh, she had some choice words for him.

Specifically revolving around, ‘I told you so.’

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revised 5/13/2018


	3. Solitude

School sucked. It was the first day, and she knew tomorrow could be better, but it wouldn't be. She’d determined that as soon as she sat down and realized she knew no one there. School sucked, and if the kids around her wouldn't quiet down, if the teacher wouldn't control them, if the ridiculous audio book they were listening to wouldn't stop skipping, she would... She would scream. Yell. Make some sort of ruckus. Anything to stop this. It was too much noise, to much movement, too many people all at once.

She had sat with her mother the night before. Trying to explain her fears and worries, pleading to do something, anything else. She wouldn’t budge though. Her mother had tried telling her that she would like it, that she could have fun and learn with kids her age, that she would enjoy it. That even if it was a lot all at once, she would adjust. She didn't. She wouldn't. She couldn't. And right before her breaking point, the bell rang. Recess. She was saved.

The classroom emptied, the teacher walked to the back of the classroom, opening the small side door to the playground. She waited until most had left, avoiding their stares and the watchful eye of the teacher alike. Her body stuttered as she reached the top of the steps, hand on the railing as her chest tightened with fear and apprehension. Kids ran around, some out to the swings, some the sand pit, others to the tall jungle gym that leered over her. 

She’d never enjoyed playgrounds. They felt… Harsh and unfeeling. There was no beach, there were no rocks, no trees to climb. No grass to feel beneath her fingers. All sharp edges and angles and kids she didn't know. Too closed in. Her world view had shrunk from one street, one patch of forest, one beach, to this fenced in courtyard filled with more people than she'd ever been around before in her life.

She needed quiet, needed solitude. Needed her little dollar store camera and something to focus it on. Something to study, to learn, inspect. Her feet carried her towards a corner of the building, blocking out the sight of the playground and kids yelling and running in fun. Her back scraping the red brick, she sat. It was too much. That was it. She'd talk to her dad about it at dinner, and she'd convince him to take her out of school. She didn't need it, not if it felt like this. Books. That was it! She’d read books instead. Hundreds of books.  _ Thousands.  _ She’d be the smartest kid alive. Yeah… Like that would work...

Hot tears dropped onto her too white shoes. A present for starting school. The first time she was able to get exactly what she wanted. They were fancy, far more put together than her other clothing items. A luxury they could rarely afford. Her mother had let her pick them out herself. No input, no pointing her in a direction, just let her get what she wanted for herself. She'd been so happy.

Before she got out of bed that morning, she’d plastered a fake smile on. Grimacing through her teeth as she told her mother she was ready. Excited even. She'd even tied her hair back, trying to make herself look, feel, more presentable. More normal, more mature, ready for this step. School. 

She hated it.

Her tears finally fell freely, thin arms wrapped tightly around her legs. The screams and laughs of the children around the corner came and went, varying in intensity, masking her sobs.

They existed in a world she felt apart from. They were all in on some joke, and she didn’t even get the setup. When she felt dry of tears, she wiped her eyes, trying to compose herself. The last thing she needed was other kids showing up and catching her here. She'd be a laughing stock. One last shudder wracked through her body as she tried to stabilize her breathing. Looking up, she noticed a pair of worn down sneakers pointed in her direction, not far from where she sat.

'No,' she thought, 'Please no'.

This was the worst day of her life, now and forever, what would they even-

"Hi. Are, uh, are you ok?"

It took her a moment to halt her line of thought. 'She's not laughing'. Max was momentarily stunned into immobility.

"Um, no... I guess..."

The girl shifted on her feet, one hand wrapped around her stomach, the other holding the back of her neck, buried beneath dirty blonde hair. Max couldn't tell, but she didn't look suspicious. She wasn't running off to tell anyone that she'd been crying here, all alone. If anything, she looked alone herself. Nervous even.

"You mind if I sit here? I'm kind of, uh, don’t really wanna play with any out there, and, well... I saw you over here..."

Max felt... Something. This girl seemed nice. Maybe she'd be ok to sit with. To talk to.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm not really doing anything though..."

"Cool!"

The girl broke into a warm smile, grin lopsided by a missing tooth. She sat back against the brick, all gangly limbs and nervously shaking energy. She thrust a hand in Max's direction, bright blue eyes wide and enveloping. Kind.

"I'm Chloe!"

Max gingerly took her hand, startled by how warm Chloe’s hand was.

"I'm, uh, Max..."

"Well, what's got you sittin' here? Not much fun being all alone."

"I don't really know anyone here... So, you know..."

Chloe gave her a light punch to her arm, grabbing her attention, her body relaxing back as she inclined her head towards Max.

"Well, you know me, now.”

They sat in quiet for a few minutes, Max’s breath and heart rate slowing down and the slight nervousness in her stomach beginning to dissipate.

After sitting quietly a few more minutes, Chloe turned, propping her side against the wall as she turned to speak to Max.

"Hey, you wanna get up and play a bit? We still have a while before Ms. Schwartz calls us in."

Her question ended with a tiny pout, her hair falling over and tickling Max's shoulder. Max considered it for a moment. She didn't really have anything else to do. Nothing else that was more important than crying by herself anyway. And Chloe seemed... Steadying, and was far more interesting than just staring at her shoes alone.

"Sure."

Chloe's face lit up, her feet propelling her up and forward and into an explosive twirl, hand reached down, waiting for Max to grab it, bouncing back and forth upon her feet.

"Come on then! You like pirates, right?! You gotta, right? We can sword fight! Or take something over, claim it as our ship!"

Max felt a grin tug at her lips, Chloe's enthusiasm wafting over and seeping in.

"Sure!"

As they ran around the playground, make believe jousting with sticks, the grin plastered to her face finally solidified into something she felt as real. And by the time she hopped on the bus home, her mind had passed over the unpleasantness of the morning, focusing instead on one thought.

As long as Chloe was there, she could continue.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revised 5/13/18


	4. Landlocked

“Hurry up!”

The sing-song of Chloe’s voice carried through the trees, leaving Max playing catch up. Unless her memory was failing her early, she was pretty sure they’d started off at the same point. But with the speed Chloe had increased the distance between them, no one would believe that.

In the months since they’d met during recess, they found in each other a comraderie they’d lacked with others. Being together was like finding the perfect accessory. Something she’d been missing without even knowing, that helped her feel whole without having been empty.

Playdates, long spent afternoons after school, weekends dropped off at one another’s home. William and Joyce had welcomed Max in, and in turn Ryan and Vanessa had welcomed Chloe. They hadn’t had the chance to sleep over at one another’s home yet, and Joyce had forbid Chloe from playing down at the beach unsupervised, or the local pool. Max wasn’t sure why, but hoped they’d get there eventually. She was pretty sure she could keep up with Chloe in the water, even given their differences on land.

Their afternoon adventures were cherished. Running through the forest, playing on a swing-set, hiding treasure. Finding mildly amusing, and sometimes a little too dangerous, ways to get into mischief.

Quick flashes of Chloe’s hair guided her forward, keeping her from losing her path. Her feet however, couldn’t keep up with her desire to catch Chloe, and the deeper they went, the thicker the forest became. All around her trees crowded in, the edge of the forest had long since passed, and nature had sprung up and claimed this territory as its own. The ever present top of the lighthouse on the far cliff and wisps of clouds had faded beneath the canopy, light filtered green dancing on her skin.

Her lungs beginning to burn, small frame shaking with effort, but she continued on. If Chloe could make it there, so could she. Deeper, and deeper, until roots grew up to trap at her ankles, branches and brambles catching at her limbs and clothes.

After what felt like a marathon sprint, clear bright light began filtering through the trees ahead of her, and the tiny sight of Chloe finally disappeared.

As she came upon the clearing, she stood to catch her breath.

“C-Chloe?”

She couldn’t have gone far… could she?

The clearing was wide, open and expansive to a small child, thigh high grass untouched by any sort of mower, old ancient logs and branches scattered about. The clearing was roughly circular, though the right side seemed to have been hemmed out of bramble bushes.

A tree stood on the far side, a proud, tall oak, shrouded in leaves and surrounded on the sides and behind by pine and birch trees. The tall grass brushed her palms as she searched, wandering over, and slowly investigating the gashes and knobs of the bark on the tree.

“Hehe...” 

Max froze in her tracks, unnerved by what sounded like soft and hidden laughter dropping down through tree.

Looking up, Max spotted the source, right as it...

“Boo!”

“Ah!”, Max fell back, landing on her backside, sucking air as she attempted to recover from he scare.

Chloe was perched on a limb, both feet planted and one hand grasping a branch above her to stabilize, body swinging back and forth as her free hand grasped her belly, trying to keep her laughter in check.

“Took ya’ long enough!” Chloe’s giggles were finally unsuppressed , reveling in her chance to throw Max off balance.

Chloe finally shifted, calming down as Max recovered. She sat down, her long legs securing her position in the tree, she leaned over, propping herself low enough to reach down and help haul Max up. Small body straining, Max grasped at the offered hand as Chloe pulled her up into a sitting position in the large tree, branch swaying beneath their bodies, feet left dangling.

“Well, Silver? What say ye’?”

The width of the tree spread out about a head taller than Max, its limbs twisting in four places, forming a platform from which to climb higher. Max took the sight in, observing Chloe’s choice.

The bark was rough beneath her fingers, devoid of moss or insects clinging to it. She knew trees grew to be old, and had to assume this one was ancient. The center continued up, splitting at different heights into tangles and gnarls of thick branches and leaves. The wind rushed through, fresh breeze lifting leaves, solid trunk unmoving, attesting to the strength of the tree.

Chloe had cocked her head, pirate hat cocked and sliding over one of her eyes. She was pent up, hands awkwardly running over the branch, waiting for an answer. Hoping she’d made a good enough choice to base themselves.

Max had enough trouble saying no to Chloe when they weren’t playing around, but when she dropped into the adventures in full. Whenever she showed how timidly she wanted Max’s approval, or hope that Max was enjoying or approving of their antics, there was never any denying her.

“Aye Cap’n, a right fine ship!”

Chloe fell into giggles when Max finally answered, their long search for a tree fort over. She leapt to her feet, pulling at the stiff branches, climbing higher to enjoy the view, as Max swung her feet, enjoying the breeze.

Max swiveled her head up to bring Chloe into view, “You did bring the tape, right?”

“‘Course I did Max, I’m not letting this adventure go to waste! And, Dad might have reminded me before we left…”

“Of course,” Max began to chuckle, “Pass it down, I’m closer!”

Chloe shuffled with the loop of flagging tape tied off to her belt, relying on her sure footing to hold onto the branches and not fall off.

“Ya’ know, a First Mate shouldn’t demand things of their Captain, but i’ll forgive ‘ye.”

Chloe tossed down the flagging tape, Max reaching out and trying, and then failing, to grasp it out of the air.

“Gravity: 1, Max: 0. Better luck next time?”

Laughter from above drifted down to Max, as she wiggled her way off the branch, landing with a soft thud. She grabbed up the loose wrap of tape from among the leaves on the ground. She jammed the loose end of the tape into a crag in the bark, pressing it into place, scraping her fingers and securing her lead. 

As she wrapped it around the oak, the wind rose, tossing and pulling at the loose tape. She took her time circling the trunk, enjoying the way light filtered down through its leaves. The clearing in front of them was lit up in the sun, grass and intermittent small flowers swaying through the breeze.

When she’d finished and tied it off, she stepped back to enjoy their work, their tree. Light scattered through, highlighting Chloe, sitting high up in the tree, stoic as ever as she took in the view. If she could, she would’ve grabbed a picture of Chloe sitting so high above. But in service to the adventure she’d left her new camera at home. She didn’t want to think of what her father or mother would say if she lost it, or broken it while playing around.

“All ready, Cap’n!” Max shouted up to Chloe. When no reply came, Max raised her hand, palm shading her eyes from the warm sun, just in time to-

“Oof, gerr’ off me!”

Chloe had landed, somewhat less than gracefully… right onto Max herself. After rolling her off, she took stock, now very glad she hadn’t taken the camera out today.

“Sorry about that..” Chloe sheepishly stretched herself out on the ground, “I wasn’t aiming for you, really. And… I think i hurt my foot.”

Max rolled over, pulling herself to her knees to look over Chloe.

“Lemme’ see. Hopefully it’s not broken.”

Chloe leaned up, pulling her sneaker off and rubbing at her foot, where a bruise was just barely starting to peek through. Max pulled Chloe’s hands away, not wanting her to chance any further damage from poking at it.

“Well, try to flex it? I mean, if you can move it maybe it’s ok? Just looks bruised to me.”

Chloe straightened out, leaning back on her hands, leg stretching out and rotating her foot. Extending her toes out as she flexed and rolled her ankle.

Max stopped though, hands pulling away and breath sharply gasping.

“Woah… You didn’t tell me your toes were like that!”

Max poked in between a toe, thin skin webbed between them.

“Oh, uh, yeah, they’re like that on both feet. My mom wanted the doctors to cut it when I was born, but my Dad wanted it to stay. His are like that too! He says it runs in our family or something like that…”

“That’s so cool!”, Max leaned forward, pinching the webbing lightly with her fingers, causing Chloe to startle and gasp.

“So, it’s just normal skin? That’s so awesome! Bet you’d be like, the best pirate captain. If you got caught, you could just walk the plank and swim away like crazy!”

Chloe brought a hand to her neck as her cheeks reddened, turning to sheepishly look away. “Well, yeah I guess so…”

“Here,” Max grounded herself, standing up and reaching out to help Chloe get back on her feet, “Let’s get back, that bruise looks like it’ll be bad.”

Chloe grasped at her proffered arm, hauling herself upward, grabbing her shoe and sock with her free hand. Slowly she limped forward, shoe in hand, other arm wrapped around Max.

They began the long walk back, Max supporting Chloe, all the meanwhile asking questions about her swimming, about William, spinning yarns about how cool of a pirate Chloe was, and asking for promises that she’d be told if Chloe suddenly sprouted gills too.

“Sure thing Max,” Chloe said, with a smile across her face, “You’ll be the first to know.”

As the sun reached its peak, Max and Chloe finally passed through the forest, bickering and bantering between themselves, Chloe all the meanwhile silently thinking about other secrets she’d like to tell Max...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revised 5/14/18


	5. Falling Branches

_Crack… Crack… CRASH_

Leaves settled and a thin veil of kicked up dirt began to settle back to the ground. The clearing gained a few more feet as a thin birch tree rolled against the ground.

“Yeah!” Chloe whooped, bouncing up from her crouched position.

 Arms in the air, fists curled up, Chloe jumped in place. Her unabashed enthusiasm flowed over into Max, the young girl nearly bouncing back and forth on her feet as she walked to the base of the fallen tree.

 “Come on Chloe, help me move it,” Max wrapped her hands around the base of the fallen tree, starting to drag it further off into the woods surrounding their clearing.

 Chloe halted her celebration, running over to pull the other end and assist Max.

 “Once we get them all down from around the tree,” She hefted the end of the tree onto her shoulder, “We can ask dad to drag out a mower or something and clear it all out. He still won’t let me take the weed whacker out on my own…”

 A year had passed since they’d claimed the tree as their fort. Though it had started as a simple base for their pirate fort, they’d since moved onto other adventures. The tree had been kept as a base of operations. Eventually they had gotten William and Ryan to drag out enough lumber and supplies on the sled for an old ATV to start building a proper fort. It had taken time and been stalled as the girls attempted to help their fathers, but after enough perseverance had been finished.

 Ryan and William had shared a few beers the final night of building, before dressing it up in second hand blankets and drapes, preparing it for their children to arrive the following day. Over time, Chloe and Max had spent many hours in these woods, investigating nature and any other interest that fell under their gaze.

 Eventually a routine had been set.. Though school kept them in separate classes, they would spend any free moment with one another, planning escapades and sleepovers. After enough weeks of waking up in Chloe’s home, it had started feeling like her own to Max. She split her time with William and Joyce, as her mother and father worked increasingly longer hours to provide for their small family.

 They’d struck upon the idea to remove the trees surrounding their fort after realizing that they’d played out the small open area around them. While the clearing had seemed vast and open when they were younger, it had slowly grown smaller and smaller as grass was tamped down by feet and time worn tents.

Surrounding their haven small birch trees were striking up, not full gown but tall enough to carve out their own space. The trees had been planted before they were born, and hadn’t grown tall enough or thick enough to withstand the weight and momentum of Chloe climbing up and swaying until they cracked at the base and fell.

 Their rationale for clearing the area was thin, but so long as it kept them occupied and fed their ever changing interests and energies, they’d chase it.

 “Alright, onto the next one.” Chloe meandered around the trees, tall legs meandering between the underbrush, trying to find one that looked good enough to pull down.

 “How about… This one?” She turned back to Max, pointing up to a birch tree across the clearing from their fort.

 “Maybe? But... that one looks pretty big.” Max’s tempered caution pushed through as she walked to its base, one arm wrapped across her torso, holding on to her elbow.

 “Nah, I got this!” Chloe began to shimmy up the tree, hands clasped behind it as she slowly walked herself up.

 “Okay.. Be careful!” Max paced around the base of the tree, trying to look up avoid bumping into trees, and avoid losing her footing around the small rock boulders embedded in the ground.

 Chloe finally reached the top three quarters of the tree, one foot planted against an arm thick branch that splayed out level to the ground. She began to swing herself back and forth against the tree, letting her arms extend fully before pulling herself into a hug against the trunk

  Ever so slowly the tree began to sway back and forth under her weight. After enough momentum had built up, the top of the tree had begun to swing violently enough that Chloe needed to stop and stabilize herself. Her back foot planted against a thin branch, she waiting until the wobble settled down, then started to lean back and forth again, trying to get the tree to an angle where the base was overcome and could crack and fall.

 Max’s pacing increased in time with the swing, getting more and more nervous as Chloe began to oscillate faster and faster, staying up longer and longer.

 “Maybe you should come down,” she shouted, “That one looks too stur-”

 “Woah!”

 Chloe’s grip slipped as she pulled her body backwards, the extended range of the tree’s sway forced her clasped hands to come undone. As the tree began its forward travel, Chloe’s foot gave way and her body dropped.

 Max’s hands clasped to her mouth in silent fright, startled and worried for her treebound friend.

 As Chloe had fallen, she wrapped her arms back against the tree, arms catching onto crook of the branch she’d been resting her foot against.

 “I’m okay! I think!”

 “Careful!” Max had fallen out of her stupor, stepping back slightly to keep Chloe in view, “Can you climb down?”

 “Uh, I… I don’t think so. If I let go with a hand I don’t think I can hold on!”

 Chloe swayed against the tree, thin arms trying to keep herself locked onto the tree.

 “Umm.. Max?! I don’t know what to do here!”

  _CRACK_

 The branch shuddered under Chloe’s weight, the top where it connected to the tree beginning to splinter and tear.

 “Max!!” Chloe was trying to shimmy her way towards the trunk and wrap her legs around it, but without being able to move her hands any closer she was too short to reach it and wrap around.

 “Ok, if you fall, I’ll catch you!”

 “Max you weigh like twenty pounds wet, I don’t think that’s going to help!!”

  _SNAP_

 With a final bone crunching sound the tree branch gave way under Chloe’s weight. She plummeted down, legs catching under her and back pointed down. Max threw her arms out and braced her legs, hoping to if not catch, at least break Chloe’s downward momentum.

 “Ah!”

 When Chloe’s body finally reached Max, her body bowed under the impact. The air forced from her lungs, she collapsed with Chloe onto the ground.

 “Oh….” Max rolled herself out from underneath Chloe, getting to her hands and knees and trying to force the air back into her lungs. Looking over, Chloe was unmoving. Her head was lying nestled on top of leaves and grass,  next to a bowling ball sized rock sticking up out of the ground.

 “Chloe!! Chloe?!” Max reached over, grabbing Chloe’s shoulder, trying to get her moving or speaking.

 “Nnn..”

 She was groaning. That was good… Right?

 Max gently turned Chloe’s head, checking to see if she was bleeding or broken anywhere. To her eyes, besides some scratches on the back of her neck where Chloe had impacted the ground, Max couldn’t find anything outwardly wrong. But that didn’t mean there wasn’t something hurt inside of her.

 “Chloe, can you hear me?” Max knelt next to Chloe, holding one of her hands in a strong grip. With her other, she began snapping in front of Chloe’s closed eyes, trying to get her to respond in any meaningful way.

 After what felt like milenia to the young girl, but was probably only minutes, Chloe began to stir.

 “Mmm… yeah… I guess…” Chloe screwed her eyes shut further, grimacing through pain.

 “Oh god… I thought you were dead!” Max threw herself forward onto Chloe, trying not to squeeze her to death in a halfway hug.

 After a few more seconds crushing Chloe beneath her tiny frame, Max let up.

 “You think you can get up?”

 “I think so…My wrist kinda hurts though.” Chloe began trying to sit up, favoring her right hand against her chest.

 “Come on, let’s get you back to your house.” Max reached under Chloe’s left arm, helping her to her feet.

 “This is the second time you’ve hurt yourself out here… Hopefully your Mom lets you keep coming out…”

 “She couldn’t stop me if she tried, and Dad would probably let me go.” Chloe stood shakily on her feet, bowed over and trying to regain her proper breathing.

 “Besides Maxi, I promise not to tell if you won’t.” She gave Max a side eyed look, hopeful eyes silently pleading with Max.

 “Okay. I won’t tell if you won’t. Lets go.” She leaned into Max, arm cradled against her chest.

 They began their trek back, Chloe leaning heavily onto Max, perhaps more than necessary, the lone tree still slightly swaying behind them.

 “You know,” spoke Chloe, thinking back, “That’s the second time you saved me by ending up beneath me. If i didn’t know any better, I’d say you planned it.”

“Gross, Chloe,” Max lightly punched her in the side, small giggles escaping the both of them.

 “Really though, thanks for being there when you were. I don’t wanna think what would have happen if I’d hit that rock.”

 “No problem Chloe, that’s what First Mates are for.”

 They continued the rest of their travel in silence, Chloe straightening up and no longer leaning on Max by the time they’d reached Chloe’s street.

 “I think I’ve had my fun with the whole tree thing… How about we check the beach tomorrow? Meet me down there in the morning?” Chloe had a mischievous glint to her eyes, but figured it might also have been the setting sun shining off her.

 “Sure., I think I’m done with you risking your life too.”

 As they went their separate ways for the night, the sun sank lower beneath the horizon, clouds light up in red and pink against the coastal blue.

 Chloe took one last look at the retreating form of Max under the encroaching shadows.

 “Hope you’re sure Max…”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure birch tree's don't grow in north western Oregon, but since this scene was inspired by my childhood in north western Massachusetts, i figured the addition was an okay fabrication. 
> 
> Trying to finally move this story forward.


	6. Seaside

Max's feet crunched against the sand and detritus as she walked the dry creek towards the ocean. She hadn't come out to the beach through this path in a few months, usually preferring to walk the failing boardwalk closer into town. The dry bed meandered around large and imposing boulders that had weathered worn and gray over the years. Dark and cracked sediment split underneath her feet, the silt still waiting on the torrents of melt water in the spring. Though it sometimes rained ceaselessly in Arcadia the passing summer had proven dry and inhospitable. Lethargic bugs and birds lined the shoreline intermittently jumping out from hiding to escape the tiny girl and dash amidst the long dry grass that stubbornly grew up closer the the trees. 

 

She cast a glance about herself while humming a tune she'd recently gotten stuck in her head. Her Father and William had similar tastes in music and as of late were trying their hardest to make their daughters into grunge loving clones. Chloe was having none of but Max had acquiesced to her father's endless pleas and bought a record from the local library for a quarter. When she'd brought him the record to inspect after he got home from work he'd nodded sagely in approval, no doubt waiting to tell William that he'd struck the first win. Sometimes adults confused her, her parents most especially of all, but other times she could only see their mysterious antics as the over exaggerated games of kids. 

 

Glancing about again she recentered herself. Nothing and no one to disturb her was the state of things, and rather how she liked it. Although she'd come out of her shell somewhat after meeting Chloe all those years ago, her friend pool was limited to one, with few acquaintances to bolster her sociability. Large groups still brought her head and eyes down, and excess excitement and energy still brought her a disquiet nervousness that only pushed her to get out of the room and far from the situation she'd been placed in. All except Chloe. She ran at her speed and any energy shared between them was calming and enveloping. At least, it was when Chloe wasn't getting hurt risking herself. Max could bask in their shared energy, and fuse Chloe’s interests with her own. 

 

Chloe was boundless. Always exploring, always searching for new things to do, try, experience. Most of it was in good fun but half of the time Max suspected that Chloe sought out perilous situations just to listen to her fret. Not that Max would say no to that, but she’d stressed that it wouldn’t kill Chloe to avoid situations where something else could. When pushed though she could get into her own mischief, though it was far more usually just focused more on finding hidden spaces or things or secrets and less seeing if she could outwit the old guard dogs down by the junkyard. As much as the sound of Chloe relenting and telling her she had been right was music to her ears, she could have done without being in that spot to begin with. After Chloe had gone to visit relatives that particular weekend, she had snuck a small steak from her father's meat refrigerator in the garage and flung it over the junkyard fence. She had been unable to put it out of her mind to feel sorry for the pup. He  _ had _ needed to chase after Arcadia's pirate devil after all. A reward for effort was well earned. 

 

Max brought herself back to the present as her shoe slipped forward on an old water smoothed stone. Her camera slowly bounced against her hip, jostling about on the lanyard roped around her neck. Chloe had let her know that she would be witness to some secret or another, so she'd been reluctant to leave for the beach without it. Any chance she could get to immortalize their time together she would take. Her cheap little film roll camera had been replaced with a beaten and once unloved Polaroid a few weeks back. In the short stretch of time that she had had it, it had become one of her most prized possessions.

 

She'd argued with her mother for hours before she had finally relented and agreed to take her to the downtown flea market on a lazy Saturday morning. The trip had lasted well into the day and she had made an afternoon out of searching all the stalls and nooks for anything worthy of salvage. William had a clunky Polaroid and had taken the time the weekend before to show Chloe and herself how it worked. Where film was loaded, where photos would come out, even his own little wrist flip he said he used to make sure the photos always turned out right. She'd been smitten then and there, and vowed to find one for herself. To her great surprise, she'd found one she deemed perfect in the back of a stall filled with dusty electronics. After purchasing the little camera her mother had even brought her around to the little store near town center that dealt with filmography and photography. She'd picked up her first bundle of film then and there, barely letting it all out of her sight since.

 

The creek bed widened out once it reached the beach, opening onto branch stripped logs and ragged boulders sticking out above the sand. She scanned the edges of the beach, from the far right that sloped along past the foot of the forest cleanly, to the left where a towering chunk of rocks met the waters edge. 

 

In her immediate vicinity Chloe was nowhere to be found, the sand stretch empty and lonesome. She made her way towards the water as dry sand gave way to cooler water logged grains. A downed tree trunk with lichen blotches of moss lay half in and half out of the water. It was rough and weather battered but dry enough for her to perch on. She resolved to wait for her and went about letting her eyes wander the horizon. 

The sea was calm at the moment, languidly lapping against the sand and rocks further to her left. She brought the viewfinder of her camera to her eye, checking to see if she could sight any huge tankers or fishing boats trudging back and forth along the coast. A few minutes of searching fruitlessly led her to twisting back towards the forest. Chloe was almost never late, instead preferring to arrive early enough to cause a little mischief. When even that scrutiny failed to yield a new development she laid back against the tree trunk to face the sky in exasperation. It would seem she had no recourse but to wait. 

 

The lack of Chloe bothered her but she resolved to not let it dampen her mood. She was outside on a beautiful day, gentle breeze flowing through her hair and not a soul in sight. And certainly Chloe wouldn't get cold feet. She would never back down from a dare and never even needed a double dare, something she held as a point of pride over Max.

 

As time slipped by Max slowly became aware of a short sound breaking the peace. It sounded almost like-

 

_ Splash! _

 

With an explosive movement Max brought herself to sit forward and intensely scanned the horizon. She shifted her view back and forth until a dark spec took center point in her search. Slowly bobbing in and out of the sleek waves was a seal, long and powerful. Every few seconds it would shoot up out of the water in a ferocious explosion of energy and slap its back flippers against the surface of the sea on the way back down. Max brought her camera to her eye patiently waited for the seal to leap from below the sea again. Her patience was rewarded as the seal arced through the air much closer than before and her trigger finger caught the seal at the apex of its leap.

 

Smiling wildly she held the photo out while waiting for it to develop. She just knew Chloe would be amazed to see that she'd managed to capture the moment. Her little moment of thought brought her back to realizing that her friend still hadn't shown up. Max slowly turned around and scoured the forest and creek bed for any sight of her. Shoulders slumping in defeat, her attention was drawn back to the ocean when a sharp bark caught her off guard. In her time searching for Chloe the seal had made its way closer to her and now sat propped up on its belly only a few feet from where she sat. 

 

Slowly Max brought her body to face it fully and fought to control her breathing and nervousness caught up in surprise. Her father had told her not to get too close to wild animals, regardless of how cute or tame towards humans they seemed. She heeded his words and kept herself still upon the tree trunk, opting to slowly wave at it instead.

 

“Umm, hey?” she asked it warily.

 

The seal simply turned its head side to side, as if getting a better look at her with each eye. Slowly it meandered closer to where she sat and and tentatively reached out its snout while sniffing at her.

 

“Uh, hi. I’m Max.” 

 

She shifted slightly on the tree, pulling her feet up beneath herself to sit cross legged and leaned forward slightly to look closer at the seal. It was lean and muscled, not large enough to suggest it was full grown. The seal barked out at her in a low and pleasantly quiet tone before shuffling backwards into the water behind itself. 

 

Max sat, enthralled at the encounter without even so much as fidgeting towards her camera. When she realized her lack of attention she reached towards her camera only to find she was too late. The seal had taken off into the water with a quick splash and headed off beneath the water. Leaning back she inwardly lamented the missed opportunity but resolved to find Chloe before she headed back home and let her know of her luck.

 

She spotted the bobbing head of the seal above the water, heading to her left and approaching the large outcropping of rocks that she couldn’t see behind. Still slightly stunned at her incredible and short encounter Max lazily watched the head disappear as it rounded the far right side of the rock and disappeared from view. Sighing contentedly to herself she leaned back with her arms splayed out back behind her. 

 

Her Eyes closed and she breathed deeply of the salt scented air. Even if Chloe didn’t show up she’d had a wonderful morning. Relaxed as she was in her own thoughts, she was startled from her reverie as familiar voice called out behind the rock,

 

“Max!”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I will attempt to add chapters as possible.


End file.
